Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A female teacher who had sex with a 16-year-old schoolboy was warned today that she faces jail after a court heard she had been in a six-month relationship with the teenager.

Lauren Cox, 27, was teaching at a school in south London, when she embarked on the relationship with the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

She appeared at Croydon Crown Court today, where she admitted five charges of sexual activity with a boy aged between 13 and 17 while in a position of trust.

These included sexual touching on March 9th and March 16th last year as well as sexual intercourse between April and September 2015 when she was 26 and the boy was just 16.

Cox was arrested on September 16, 2015 after the pupil told his parents about what had been going on between the pair.

They then contacted the head teacher of the school, who in turn alerted social services.

Cox had first met the child when he was 13, and the victim said they formed a close relationship. According to police, she begin a sexual relationship with the boy in January 2015.

Brian Reece, prosecuting, told the court: 'The age gap is just 10 years so this is a school teacher-pupil relationship. 'It is the Crown's case there was a build up to this relationship ahead of the victim's 16th birthday in February last year.'

Cox and the boy would meet after school and during school holidays. She would also send explicit pictures and videos of herself to the boy.

Business studies teacher Cox, who appeared in court wearing black trousers, a jacket, and thick rimmed glasses spoke quietly in the dock as she pleaded guilty to all five charges put to her.

Judge Nicholas Ainley warned Cox she could go to jail for more than a year. He said: 'Obviously she has to be aware there is a custodial penalty for these offences. 'I'm ordering a pre-sentence report, but that does not mean that because I'm granting that application there will be no custodial penalty.

Cox, from Oxted in Surrey, was bailed to return to Croydon Crown Court next month to be sentenced.

The officer investigating the case, PC Laura Davies of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command (SOECA), said: 'Cox abused her position of trust as a teacher and groomed the boy which went on to sexual abuse. The abuse has had an extremely adverse effect on the boy with his studies suffering as a result.